Vienna Recognised in ’20 Safest Travel Destinations’ List

In the face of the Covid-19 crisis, Vienna has proven itself as a travel destination with high safety and hygiene standards and the city’s tourism industry is dedicated to ensuring its visitors feel safe in Vienna. The Austrian Professional Hotel Association at the Vienna Economic Chamber and Vienna Tourist Board have therefore joined forces to support accommodation partners with Safe Stay, a new accreditation seal developed specifically for the city of Vienna.

The seal has launched just as EU-affiliated travel portal, European Best Destinations, named Vienna one of the ‘20 safest travel destinations in the age of Covid-19’. The city was one of just a handful of major cities to appear on the list due in part to the actions of the Austrian government who were quick to implement lockdown measures across the country in March, which helped stem the spread of the virus enabling cities like Vienna to begin reopening cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels in May. On 29th May, Vienna’s Mayor turned the iconic Ferris Wheel back on after it was switched off for the first time in its 75-year history and at the same time, the city’s iconic attractions, such as Schönbrunn Palace and the Tiergarten, the House of the Sea, the Spanish Riding School, the Belvedere museum and many more, opened their doors once again with social distancing and increased sanitary regulations in place.

Vienna’s hotels are also taking health and safety standards for guests to new levels with a raft of specific measures across six categories within the new Safe Stay seal regulations. Steps include taking staff members’ temperatures before they start their shift, appointing a dedicated safety officer to ensure measures are being followed correctly, introducing additional cleaning rounds and disinfection amenities, digital visitor notifications and menus as well as various other safeguards put in place to protect guests and employees. Hotels can display the Safe Stay seal in their entrance area to show guests they are meeting its requirements and compliance with the seal’s criteria is monitored through regular checks conducted by the Vienna Tourist Board and the Vienna Economic Chamber. All hotels in Vienna can apply to qualify for the seal. Further details can be found at SafeStayVienna.at.

The city’s tourism sector is also participating in the WTTC’s Safe Travels initiative – the world’s first safety and hygiene stamp for the tourism sector with the support of government experts, professional associations and the UN World Tourism Organisation – to demonstrate how Vienna’s tourism industry adheres to the very highest health and safety standards. One of the stamp’s priorities is implementing consistent rules that apply uniformly across the world for tourism businesses such as hotels, restaurants, airlines and airports, tour operators, museums, attractions, retailers and car hire companies to follow.

Vienna Tourist Board has also drawn up a detailed set of guidelines for the hotel industry regarding how to proceed in the event of a suspected Covid-19 case in an accommodation facility. Should a visitor fall ill whilst on holiday in Vienna, despite the safety precautions in place to prevent this, they can trust the city’s extensive hygiene standards. For suspected cases of Covid-19 or other illnesses where people cannot self-isolate at home, Vienna has allocated quarantine facilities for around 6,000 people suitable for those with or without special care and needs, as well as medical staff. Guests can quarantine in their hotel unless otherwise instructed and anyone who is required by the health authorities to quarantine in one of the city‘s dedicated facilities does not have to cover this cost themselves.

Norbert Kettner, Director of Tourism at Vienna Tourist Board, said: “Vienna’s response to the coronavirus crisis is an international example of best practice. Our city is listed as one of the safest travel destinations alongside just a handful of other cities in the European Best Destinations ranking and so we are amplifying this status as part of our reopening marketing activities. We are underlining the efforts of the Vienna visitor economy to offer the highest standards for visitors with the World Travel & Tourism Council’s internationally-recognised Safe Travels stamp – which the Vienna Tourist Board is participating in – as well as the Safe Stay seal for Vienna’s hotel businesses.”

Dominic Schmid, Chair of the Austrian Professional Hotel Association at the Vienna Economic Chamber, commented: “Booking rates at hotels in Vienna are currently around the 20% mark but Vienna’s hoteliers are confident of their ability to increase the number of domestic and international visitors. Especially now, it is essential that we win back the trust of our guests, which is why working on the development of the new Safe Stay seal was very close to my heart. Vienna’s hotels are creating a solid foundation for trust through the introduction of voluntary additional checks for hotels, rooms and the employees themselves – all of which go far beyond the statutory hygiene regulations. The new seal publicises this and communicates it to the outside world allowing our guests to enjoy their stay safe in the knowledge that additional measures are being followed to ensure their safety.”

Vienna has featured in a host of global rankings as one of the world’s most liveable cities and for ten consecutive years, the city has topped the Quality of Living ranking published by Mercer. The Economist Intelligence Unit also gave Vienna top spot in its Global Liveability Index. In recognition of its ample public green spaces, outstanding public transport network and sustainability credentials, Vienna was awarded first place in the World’s 10 Greenest Cities index compiled by consulting agency, Resonance, in April 2020 while in the Anholt Ipsos City Brands Index released in January 2020 covering 50 cities worldwide, Vienna finished first in the Place category for which cleanliness was one of the overriding factors. With 2020 marking the 250th birthday of legendary composer, Ludwig van Beethoven, who chose Vienna to premiere most of his works, the 120th anniversary of Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams being published and the Freud Museum due to reopen in the city in August following extensive refurbishment, Vienna certainly has plenty to celebrate as it continues its recovery journey in the ‘new normal’.

As of July 2020, passengers entering the UK from Austria no longer have to quarantine. Austria is one of the countries that now pose ‘’a reduced risk’’ from coronavirus, the UK government says. Arrivals from Vienna are exempt from quarantine if they arrive in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, the Austrian government currently requires all Britons to start a 14-day quarantine unless they have a recent medical certificate or test negative for coronavirus on arrival.